PORTSMOUTH, Va. – A man turned himself into Portsmouth Police after police attempted to locate him for second degree murder in connection to an incident that left a child dead last year.
Sunday night, Keilynd R. Rice turned himself in at the Portsmouth Sheriff’s Office and is now being held at the Portsmouth City Jail.
Officials say Rice is charged with second degree murder, felony abuse and neglect of a child in connection with an incident that was reported on February 26, 2020, at the 4600 block of Columbia Street.
According to court documents detailing the probable cause summary, a CPS worker met with Rice who said he found his infant son laying on his belly unresponsive and called 911. The baby was taken to Maryview Hosiptal before being taken to CHKD.
The child was admitted to CHKD with various symptoms including a burn on the arm, suspicious bruising on the back, and very cold to the touch with blue grey skin, court documents say.
According to the documents, CHKD did a further examination for other injuries, including a head CT which showed a non-depressed parietal skull fracture.
Court documents say Rice told the CPS worker he was home all day with the baby on the day of the incident. The mother was at work the day that the son was taken to the hospital with the injuries that caused his death, court documents reveal.
In the court documents it states Rice was asked about the burn that health officials reported on the child, and he stated that is was caused when he was trying to give his son a bath in the kitchen sink and accidentally knocked the faucet over to where his son was and the hot water burned his arm. Rice said that incident happened a week and a half ago prior to the incident in question.
The court documents also state that Rice said he wrapped his son's arm after applying peroxide and Neosporin and did not seek medical attention.
Rice told the CPS worker that his child does not like to be touched and cries when you try to pick him up. Documents say he stated in a later interview with the CPS worker that his son wanted to be left alone and Rice was afraid to bother him. Rice said that the baby's facial expression were irritated when he disturbed him. According to the court documents, Rice said that he felt like he couldn't interact with his son.
On February 27, 2020, the day after the incident, the baby was pronounced dead and removed from the ventilator.
An autopsy was performed and found multiple injuries including three bruises on the right scalp at the hairline, a rectangular impression mark on the left forehead, along with other bruises and physical injuries.
The autopsy also found a blood clot on the brain and dura. Court documents reveal a list of injuries found in the autopsy and some injuries found were older.
The cause of death was determined to be from blunt force trauma that came from physical abuse, court documents state.
